Refrigeration



F. D PELTIER REFRIGERATION Nov. 1, 1938.

Filed March '28, 1935 FRANK D. FELT/ER AMATTORNEY.

' Patented Nov. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATION Frank D. Peltier, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 28, 1935, Serial No. 13,399

14 Claims. (cl. 62-1085) My invention relates to ice trays and more particularly to an improved grid for use in ice trays.

An object of the invention is to facilitate the removal of a grid with attached ice cubes and to facilitate the removal of the cubes from the grid.

Another object of the invention is to accomplish this removal without the necessity of thawing.

A more specific object. is to provide an ice tray and a removable grid therefor having a member which is on the outside of the tray and free for engagement with a surface below the bottom of the tray to facilitate ice removal.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and of which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an ice tray and grid assembly embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the grid;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the grid;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the grid;

Fig. 5 is a section of the grid taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the ice tray and grid assembly placed on a fiat surface showing relative positions of the parts before removal of the grid.

Referring to the drawing, a grid is molded or otherwise fabricated of a flexible material as, for instance, rubber, and includes a longitudinal center wall I!) and transverse walls or webs ll. The base of the longitudinal wall I ll is formed with a bore l2 extending its entire length. The

forward end III of the longitudinal wall is formed with a groove H which is in vertical alignment with the bore l2 and merges with the latter at 40 its forward end. A rod. l5, Figs. 1 and 6 is formed with an inverted U-bend ltiat one end. The rod l5 is inserted in the bore l2 and one leg of the U-bend it is recessed in the groove it at the forward end of the grid. The other leg of the U-bend it extends below the horizontal portion of the rod l5 and, when the grid assembly is placed within a tray It, below the bottom of the tray. This downwardly projecting end is provided with a small rubber cap ll. ll prefer to form the grid assembly intwo parts as just described for simplification in manufacture and for easy replacement of either the rod I or grid. However, the rod may be molded into 1 the grid so that it is not removable and so that the whole forms a unitary structure.

To remove ice cubes from the tray 18, the tray may be placed upon a flat surface and pressed downwardly, As the tray is forced downwardly, the projecting portion of the rod It causes the rod and grid to remain stationary, whereby the bond between the ice and tray is broken and the grid, containing the ice cubes. may be removed from the tray. The rod Hi projects sumciently .below the bottom of the tray so that when the tray is placed on a flat surface the front of the tray is slightly raised on" the surface by the projection and may be pushed down wardly to exert the force for breaking the bond between the tray and the ice cubes in the grid. The cap ll on the projecting end of the rod serves to protect the surface against which the pressure is applied. Since the grid is flexible, ice cubes may be removed singly or as desired. To permit greater flexing of the grid, the rod to maybe withdrawn from the bore It. The projecting portion of the rod l5 provides a ready means for exerting a force between the ice and tray to break the bond therebetween without resort to thawing. Removal of the grid is most readily attained by the above described process of placing the tray on a flat surface and pressing downwardly on the tray. The removability of the rod l5 from the grid permits unrestricted flexure of .the grid for ready removal of the ice cubes. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of my invention embodied in the above described and illustrated device.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an ice tray, a removable grid including a flexible division member and a reenforcing member, said reenforcing member extending over the upper edge of the tray and downwardly below the plane of the bottom of the tray.

2. In combination with an ice tray, a soft rubber grid including a partition having a longitudinal bore in the lower part thereof and a plurality of transverse webs formed integrally with said partition, a rod removably inserted in said bore and having one end formed in a loop extending upwardly over the edge of the tray and downwardly below the plane of the bottom thereof.

3. in combination with an ice tray, a soft rubber division member comprising a central partition having a bore in the lower part thereof and a plurality of transverse webs formed integrally upwardly over the edge of the tray and downwardly below the plane of the bottom thereof, and a cap on the end of said bar outside of the tray.

4. In combination, an ice tray, a removable grid therein, and a member connected to said grid and constructed and arranged to project beyond the plane of the bottom of said grid, so that when said tray is placed on a flat surface said member contacts the surface in advance of a portion of the tray which then may be pressed toward said surface to produce a force between the tray and grid for loosening the ice cubes in the grid from 'the tray.

- 5. In combination with a portable ice tray of a size for use in domestic refrigerators, a removable member having a portion disposed within the tray to be engaged by the ice therein and a portion exterior of the tray extending slightly beyond the plane of the under surface of the tray, said exterior portion being arranged entirely outside of the region defined by projecting the sides of the tray beyond the plane of the bottom, so that the tray and member may be easily separated, and said member being arranged to leave free a part of the tray to receive downward pressure from the hand of the user.

6. A device for forming ice cubes and comprising a relatively shallow tray in combination with a member having a grid portion removably disposed within the tray and a second portion connected at one end to the grid portion and extending exteriorly of the tray to a point beyond the plane of the bottom thereof, all parts of the second portion being so disposed with respect to the sides of the tray as to permit the grid portion to be removed from the tray by relatively moving toward'each other the tray and an object engaged by the opposite end of the second portion.

7. In combination with an ice tray, a grid including a flexible rubber division member and a member extending from an upper part of said grid, said last-mentioned member being adapted to project downward on the outside of the tray and being of suflicient length to extend below the plane of the bottom surface of the tray.

8. In a device for forming ice cubes in a refrigerator, the combination of a relatively shallow tray having a substantially flat bottom and open top, a separate grid within said tray, and a member to facilitate ice removal attached to said grid and constructed and arranged to engage a surface below the horizontal plane of the bottom of said tray, said grid and member providing a structure extending across an edge of the tray and in part positioned on each side of an upstanding wall of the tray, the tray being constructed to leave said member free outwardly of the tray for said engagement.

9. Ina device for forming ice cubes in a refrigerator, the combination of a relatively shallow metal tray having a substantially flat bottom and open top, a separate rubber grid within said tray, and a member to facilitate ice removal attached to said grid and constructed and arranged to engage a surface independent of the tray and grid below the horizontal plane of the bottom surface of said tray, said grid and member providing a structure extending across an edge of the tray and in part positioned on each side of an upstanding wall of the tray, the tray being constructed to leave said member free outwardly of the tray for said engagement.

10. In combination with an ice tray for use in a household refrigerator, a grid including a division member adapted to be removably disposed within the tray and a second member adapted to project downward on the outside of the tray, said second member being capable of engaging a surface below the horizontal plane of the bottom surface of the tray, said members forming a structure extending across'an edge of the tray and in part positioned on each side of an upstanding wall of the tray, the tray being constructed to leave said second member free outwardly of the tray for said engagement.

11. In combination with an ice tray for use in a refrigerator, a grid including compartment forming walls adapted to be removably disposed within the tray and a part projecting downward on the outside of the tray, said part being constructed and arranged to engage a surface independent of the tray and grid when only a portion of the bottom of said tray engages said surface whereby a force may be produced between the tray and said grid to loosen the ice cubes in said grid from the tray, said part extending across a wall of said trayyand providing an in-' verted U-shaped portion, the tray being constructed to leave the part of the U-shaped portion outside the tray free and exposed to effect said surface engagement.

12. A device for forming ice cubes and comprising a relatively shallow tray in combination with a member having a gridportion removably disposed within said tray and a second portion extending across an adge of the tray and projecting downward on the outside of said tray when the grid portion is in the tray, said tray and said member being constructed and arranged to provide an unobstructed space for said second portion on the outside of said tray whereby said second portion may engage a surface independent of the tray and grid when the bottom of said tray is at an angle to said surface, so that pressure on the tray and reaction due to bearing pressure between the surface and the downward projecting surface cause separation of the grid from the tray.'

13. In a device for forming ice cubes in a refrigerator, the combination of a relatively shallow metal tray having a substantially flat bottom and an open top, a grid removably disposed within said tray, and said grid including a member to facilitate removal of said grid and ice cubes from the tray, said member being constructed and arranged to engage a surface independent of the tray and grid, said member extending across an edge of said tray and projecting downwardly outside said tray when the grid is disposed in the tray, said tray being constructed to leave said downwardly projecting part free for said surface engagement, and the end of the downwardly projecting part being out of alignment with the bottom of the tray.

I 14. Structure as set forth in claim 11 in which the U-shaped portion is rigid.

FRANK D. PnL'rIER. 

